1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for affixing a self-adhesive label to an article. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for affixing a self-adhesive label to an article, wherein the apparatus folds the label prior to affixing the label to the article.
2. Description of the Related Art
Containers used to ship articles, such as corrugated cardboard boxes, often have a label adhesively affixed thereto for the purpose of displaying therefrom information relating to, for example, the shipping instructions, the customer""s identity or the container""s contents. Particularly, businesses shipping goods based on customer orders require a substantial amount of information to be generated so that persons taking the order, filling the order, shipping the order, billing the order, etc., can perform their respective jobs to insure that the goods reach their intended destination. Typically, this information is printed on one or more labels which are affixed to the container, and which may contain printable items, such as, invoices, customer receipts, common carrier tracking labels, warehouse picking lists and returned goods forms.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,383 to Laurash, et al., teaches a printable, foldable, self-adhesive xe2x80x9ctuck labelxe2x80x9d having one or more flaps defining detachable portions thereof which may be removed from the tuck label even after the label has been adhesively affixed to a container. The detachable portions may have information and items such as those described above either pre-printed thereon or contained therein to facilitate shipping and handling of the container and its contents. A tuck label, such as the those described in the Laurash ""383 patent, are typically affixed to a container by a worker""s removing the unfolded tuck label from a release sheet, folding the tuck label into the proper orientation and manually affixing the folded tuck label to the container. Thus, it is desirable to provide an apparatus and method for automatedly affixing a label, such as, a tuck label, to an article, such as, a shipping container or the like.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,334 to Instance teaches an apparatus for manufacturing a folded label wherein a continuous strip of label material is cut into predetermined lengths, folded, adhered to a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing and applied to a release sheet in a folded-over orientation. The folded-over label is then removed from the release sheet and affixed to an article, such as, as shipping container. However, it is furthermore desirable to provide an apparatus for removing an unfolded label from a release sheet, automatedly folding the label into a predetermined orientation and affixing the folded label to an article, such as a shipping container or the like. It is even furthermore desirable to provide a method for folding and affixing a self-adhesive label to a container, wherein the steps of folding and affixing the self-adhesive label to the container are performed in an in-line process.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an apparatus and method for in-line folding and affixing a self-adhesive label to an article, such as, for example, a shipping container or the like.
The present invention is for an apparatus and method for in-line folding and affixing a self-adhesive label to an article, such as, for example, a shipping container or the like. The apparatus for in-line folding and affixing a self-adhesive label to an article, such as a shipping container, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a printing station, a label transfer grid, a folding station and an affixing station.
The labels, which may be affixed to a release liner, are individually fed into the printing station, which prints indicia thereon, such as invoice, receipt, shipping or inventory information. Labels exiting the printing station are fed into a first end of the transfer grid, which generally comprises two curved rows of rollers in spaced relation to one another to transfer the labels therethrough. An opening is defined, preferably between two rollers of the second row, through which a leading edge of the label is guided to project outwardly from the grid towards the folding station. As the label is conveyed forwardly through the grid, a foldable portion of the label is temporarily diverted into the folding station and thereby guided into a substantially folded-over orientation. Once the foldable portion of the label substantially projects through the opening, an air blast emitted from an air blast nozzle urges a folded edge of the label back through the opening and again into the grid, which conveys the folded-over label towards a second end thereof. The grid deposits the folded-over label onto a transfer plate of the affixing station, which includes one or more vacuum nozzles to hold the folded-over label temporarily thereagainst. Once the label is positioned over a portion of the transfer plate, a reciprocating arm, affixed to the transfer plate, presses the label against an article positioned nearby. One or more adhesive strips provided on the exposed surface of the folded-over label, then, adhesively affix the label to the article.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for in-line folding and affixing a label to an article, the label having a fold line thereacross, the fold line defining a foldable portion of the label and a cover portion of the label, the apparatus comprising a transfer grid having one or more rollers to convey the label from a first end of the transfer grid to a second end of the transfer grid, the one or more rollers defining an opening intermediate the first and second ends of the transfer grid, the transfer grid conveying the label being in a substantially unfolded orientation from the first end of the transfer grid to the opening of the transfer grid, the foldable portion of the label being projective through the opening; a folding station adjacent the opening, the folding station urging a portion of the foldable portion projecting through the opening over the cover portion to define a substantially folded-over orientation of the label, the transfer grid conveying the label being in the substantially folded-over orientation from the opening to the second end of the transfer grid; and, an affixing station adjacent the second end of the transfer grid, the affixing station receiving the label being in the substantially folded-over orientation and affixing the label to the article.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of in-line folding and affixing a label to an article, the label having a fold line thereacross, the fold line defining a foldable portion of the label and a cover portion of the label, the method comprising the steps of providing a transfer grid for conveying the label from a first end of the transfer grid to a second end of the transfer grid, the transfer grid having an opening intermediate the first and second ends; providing a folding station adjacent the opening; providing an affixing station adjacent the second end of the transfer grid; inserting the label into the first end of the transfer grid; the transfer grid conveying the label in a substantially unfolded orientation from the first end of the transfer grid to the opening, the foldable portion of the label being projective through the opening; the folding station folding the foldable portion of the label over the cover portion of the label to define a substantially folded-over orientation of the label; the transfer grid conveying the label being in the substantially folded-over orientation from the opening to the second end of the transfer grid; the affixing station receiving the label being in the substantially folded-over orientation from the second end of the transfer grid; and, the affixing station affixing the label to the article.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for automatedly affixing a label, such as, a tuck label, to an article, such as, a shipping container or the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for removing an unfolded label from a release sheet, folding the label into a predetermined orientation and affixing the folded label to an article, such as a shipping container or the like.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method for folding and affixing a self-adhesive label to a container, wherein the steps of folding and affixing the self-adhesive label to the container are performed in an in-line process.
These and additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those reasonably skilled in the art from the description which follows, and may be realized by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.